Fatality Reports
MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.
- Fatality Alert - describes the accident and lists best practices that may have prevented it
- Preliminary Report - initial report with brief description
- Final Report - investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions
Related Fatality Information
Some deaths on mining property are determined to be unrelated to mining activity and are not included in MSHA’s fatality statistics - See recent “non-chargeable” fatalities:
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Buchanan Mine #1 - Buchanan, Virginia
Mine Controller: Coronado Coal LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: CO Poisoning
Location: Wellmore #8 Prep Plant - Buchanan, Virginia
Mine Controller: Metinvest B V
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Chargeback Date: 5/30/2023
On December 22, 2022, MSHA was informed of a contractor’s death at Black Diamond Company’s Wellmore #8 Prep Plant in Big Rock, VA. MSHA’s initial findings indicated medical related issues as the cause of death. However, on March 31, 2023, MSHA received the death certificate and on April 12, 2023, MSHA received the autopsy report; both stated that the contractor died from carbon monoxide poisoning. After further investigation and review, MSHA has decided that this death should be charged to the mining industry.
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Kimballton Plant #1 - Giles, Virginia
Mine Controller: Lhoist Group
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Lime
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Jet Mist tm Quarry - Culpeper County, VA
Mine Controller: Antonio C Ramos
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Dimension Granite
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Holston River Quarry Inc - Virginia
Mine Controller: Doug Dalton
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Leesburg Plant - Virginia
Mine Controller: Charles S Luck IV; Charles S Luck III
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Granite
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Deep Mine 41 - Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: R&S STONE, INC. - Virginia
Mine Controller: Terri Reed Smith; Terry Garth Reed
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Granite
(Victim died January 17, 2015)
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Buchanan Mine #1 - Virginia
Mine Controller: CONSOL Energy Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: LORD FARM #5 - Virginia
Mine Controller: John M Baillio
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Mine No. 4 - Mine No. 30, Virginia
Mine Controller: SunCoke Energy Incorporated
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Exploding Vessels Under Pressure
Location: Buchanan Mine #1 - Virginia
Mine Controller: CONSOL Energy Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Fairbanks No. 4 - Virginia
Mine Controller: Wesley D. Burke
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Other
Location: No. 5 Strip - Virginia
Mine Controller: William D Humphreys
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Based on MSHA’s investigation and the finding of the death certificate, MSHA concluded that the miner died from natural causes and that the fatality should be de-listed and not charged to the mining industry. The death certificate indicated that the death was natural and was due to a cardiac arrhythmia due to a myocardial infarction which in turn was due to coronary artery atherosclerosis.
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Sandlick II - Kentucky
Mine Controller: Metinvest B V
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Mine 5A - Tennessee
Mine Controller: National Coal Corporation
Mine Type: Surface of Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Mine No. 2 - Virginia
Mine Controller: Cumberland Resources Corporation
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: D&C Mining Corp. - Kentucky
Mine Controller: D&C Mining Corp.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Buchanan Mine #1 - Virginia
Mine Controller: CONSOL Energy Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Mine No. 1 - Virginia
Mine Controller: Cumberland Resources Corporation
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Hand Tools
Location: Chantilly Crushed Stone Incorporated - Virginia
Mine Controller: John Gudelsky
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Traprock
Chargeback Date: 10/26/2007